Oscars 2015 – My Picks

Hey kids! We’re back for the Oscars this year, and what a crazy year it is for the golden statue, right? All the talk of snubs and whatnot, it all seems like one of the years the Academy took the brown acid or something. You aren’t supposed to take the brown stuff! Didn’t you hear them say that? Ugh. Well, it’s too late, now, isn’t it? I guess we just have to deal with your nonsense now.

Well, for me, this year isn’t much different than usual. I haven’t seen ALL the nominatedfilms, but I’ve seen a good many of them. Let’s start with Writing – Adapted Screenplay. Out of the nominees, American Sniper, Imitation Game, Inherent Vice, The Theory of Everything and Whiplash, it’s a tough call. I still haven’t seen the last two on the list, but I’m going to pick American Sniper to win. I don’t think it’s going to get much else, so that’s my thought. I could easily be wrong because The Imitation Game could win, too.

For Original Screenplay, it’s among Birdman, Boyhood, Foxcatcher, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Nightcrawler. I’m thinking Birdman. The only other possibility here is Grand Budapest Hotel, but I think Birdman is the more likely winner.

Ok, let’s get some of these tech categories and shorts out of the way. These often flummox me, especially the shorts and docs. Why not get those done first, right? How about Short Film, Animated? I don’t know any of them except Feast, and that’s the Disney one. It’ll likely win. Shorts Live Action? Totally lost. I almost want to pick the one called Boogaloo and Graham just because of the name. There is also Aya, Butter Lamp, Parvaneh, and The Phone Call. I think Butter Lamp will win, or maybe The Phone Call. But it’s a real roll of the dice either way. Good thing I don’t have any bets going.

Oh, how about Sound Editing and Mixing? The Editing noms are American Sniper, Birdman, The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies, Interstellar, and Unbroken. Wow, um, maybe The Hobbit? Sure, lots of stuff going on there. As far as Sound Mixing, just switch out The Hobbit and put in Whiplash. And I think Whiplash might win. It IS a film with a musical based story, so sure, why not?

And for Visual Effects, it’s between Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Guardians of the Galaxy, Interstellar, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Well, Hell, if those aren’t ALL brilliant visual films. I’m thinking Interstellar will win, maybe for the fact that they created visuals that had some possibility of being a part of reality. However, for me, I would like to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes win because I think the motion capture was incredible and Andy Serkis should get some Oscar attention. Actually, I think Serkis should have been nominated for best actor, but hey, I’m a rebel.

Production Design! I love this category, and out of the five films, Grand Budapest Hotel, Imitation Game, Interstellar, Into The Woods, and Mr. Turner, I think Interstellar will win, though Grand Budapest Hotel could sneak in there.

Makeup and Hair is tricky with Foxcatcher, Grand Budapest Hotel, and Guardians of the Galaxy as nominees, but I think Guardians might win. Uh, or Grand Budapest Hotel. There’s a LOT going on in those films for hair and makeup. Guardians had more alien stuff though, sooooo, yeah.

Music, Original Score and then Original Song. Another crap shoot here with these. It’s anybodies guess, but Score will go to Grand Budapest Hotel or The Imitation Game mostly because Alexandre Desplat scored both of those films so he will likely win. If you get nominated twice in the same category and don’t win either, well, that’s just sad. For Original Song, I simply want “Everything Is Awesome” to win because obvious. But “Glory” from Selma might win. But Glen Campbell has a song in the mix, and frankly all of the songs have a chance. I still want this nod to go to the Lego Movie, though.

Geez, there’s still more? No wonder the Oscars is so long on TV. Ok, Documentary Short Subject. I don’t know. Seriously, I don’t. I’ll guess The Reaper. But I think Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, should win. But damn, they’re all intense and any of them could take this.

Documentary Feature. I think Citizen Four will win. No idea why, just feel like it’s got buzz. I think Virunga should win though, because of the jungle apes that are its’ subject. But again, all possible winners here. I really don’t know.

Film Editing. Always a random one for me. Between American Sniper, Boyhood, Grand Budapest Hotel, and Whiplash, who knows? Whiplash? Sure, why not?

Best Animated Feature Film! Pretty sure it’s going to be Big Hero 6. Boxtrolls has the uniqueness of being stop-motion, How To Train Your Dragon 2 was great, I thought – more so than Chris Mancini did. Song Of The Sea escaped me, but I’d love to see it. And The Tale of Princess Kaguya got passed me, too. But, Pixar has a hold of this category most of the time. so…I don’t know though…could be Princess Kaguya…

Best Director will go to Alejandro J. Inarritu for Birdman. It’ll follow the Golden Globe, I think.

Actor in a leading role – Michael Keaton, for Birdman.

Actress in a leading role – Yep, Julianne Moore, for Still Alice.

Actor in a supporting role – J.K. Simmons, for Whiplash.

Actress in a supporting role – Patricia Arquette, for Boyhood.

Best Picture will go to Boyhood.

I think all of these are deserved, even though it’s a tough year, and some things were weirdly left out. But hey, the Academy does that sometimes. Their wisdom isn’t always that wise. So, let’s see how close I am. Me and Chris Mancini will be live tweeting on Sunday, I suspect. If you’re putting money in a pool, hope you win!

Cheers!

~ Neil T. Weakley, your average movie-goer, really not sure who’s going to win, and frankly, there may be some crazy surprises this year. It easily took as long to write this as the actual awards show will be.

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Author: Neil Weakley

Hi. I'm Neil. I didn't go to film school so I don't really have to justify any of my opinions about why I like a film or not. So there. But I worked in film for a number of years, so I have hands-on experience. That, and I've known Chris Mancini for, like, 25 years. It really is all who you know. :)
I'm mostly, but not exclusively, a fan of sci-fi, comic book movies, horror, comedies, and weird independent films. If you're an average movie-goer and want to know what another average movie-goer thinks without all the "feelm school" gobbley-gook, hop on over to www.comedyfilmnerds.com and look for me, Neil T. Weakley. I won't steer you wrong. Or follow me on Twitter @wychlea or @FilmNerdNeil.